It's A Long Journey Home
by Nerweniel
Summary: Gala is the young daughter of a special "someone", of whom we always thought that he had no children... After the daeth of her mother, she goes away from her home, to search desperately for her long gone father...
1. Gala

I was born on the 15th of Rethe, a beautiful, yet cold, late winter day, so my mother told me. I do not care about that. The only thing that matters, is that my father was still here then. My father.  
  
It was just one year ago, when my mother told me who my father was. I bear my mother's name, you see. Brandybuck. My mother's name was Melilot Brandybuck, and my father is Frodo Baggins.  
  
Yes, Frodo Baggins.   
  
My mother told me everything. She got to know my father, when she was just twenty years old. He was thirty-seven… Yes, he was seventeen years her senior, but she loved him, I read in her eyes that she loved him so much. And he loved her! I didn't know how I knew, but I knew it. He loved her. That was for sure.  
  
But why did he part over the Sea then? I did not know…  
  
It was he who gave me my name, Gala. Gala Brandybuck. I am named after the famous Elven queen, Galadriel, the former Lady of the Golden Wood, who departed over the sea with my father, when I was just one year old.  
  
Oh yes, I knew who she was. I wasn't just a silly hobbit girl. I had heard many stories in my young life. I was brought up by my mother, but also by my "uncle" Sam and "auntie" Rose. Uncle Sam had told me everything about the Ring-War, and- well, everything that happened then, since I had heard whom my father was.   
  
And then I started thinking- worrying. Was my father still alive? Can someone die over the Sea? I realized that, though I knew a lot of things, there was more that I did not know. Was my father still alive? I kept thinking, and worrying.  
  
Maybe it was because of that, that I did not see that my mother got ill.  
  
One morning, she did not even get up, and it was then, I noticed that she was seriously ill, so I called someone, my "real" aunt Mentha, who was a very good doctor.   
  
But despite her good cares, it was already too late.  
  
My mother died two days later. 


	2. Worries

I was sad, off course, though I knew that she had not loved me.  
  
I had always known that. The only person whom she had loved, was my father.  
  
I hadn't loved her either. If she had loved me, well, maybe then, I had been able to love her too. But there was sympathy between us, and mutual support, but love, no. I had never been angry with her about that. It wasn't her fault. I am sure it wasn't her fault. She was consumed by her one, true love, and she was not able to love anything else. I had never blamed her. She was my mother, and for that, I was sad because of her death. But I had never, never loved her like a daughter loves her mother.  
  
After her death, uncle Sam took me home with him. He and auntie Rose told me, that they would treat me as one of their own children, and that I didn't have to worry about anything, they would look after me.  
  
And I smiled and nodded. I really loved them, and their children. By the time that I came to live with them, they had nine of them.  
  
Elanor, Frodo, Rosie, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy, and the baby Primrose. Elanor was two months my senior, and my best friend.  
  
I was really happy, living with uncle Sam, auntie Rose, and all the little Gamgees.  
  
But I knew that I could not stay there.  
  
The worries about my long lost father were growing bigger and bigger.   
  
They almost filled my head by the day that I was fifteen.  
  
Though I oppressed the Took-feeling in me, the part of me that wasn't frightened of adventures, I did know what I had to do.  
  
I would go to Valinor. 


	3. A Talk

The first one with whom I spoke about my wish, wasn't Elanor.   
  
I had hesitated for a long time, because she was someone I really trusted, and my best friend, but I decided to go first to someone else. My "uncle" (another uncle who wasn't exactly my uncle!) Pippin.   
  
Uncle Pippin lived in Tookland, with his wife, auntie Diamond, and their little Son Faramir. I do not know why I did talk with him first.  
  
Maybe because he was the youngest of my three "uncles", and maybe because I hoped that he would understand me better? I did not know.  
  
I went to his place on market day, guessing that his wife would be away for an hour or two, and most certainly would have taken her son with her.  
  
I guessed right. When uncle Pip let me in, there were just I and him, and I began  
  
"Uncle, I want to tell you something."  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Well, little Lady, you are so serious. What is wrong? Don't you dare tell that you are tired of that nice ol' Sam?"  
  
"No. But, yes, in fact I am really serious."  
  
He understood that I wanted to have a real talk and nodded.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Well…" I began, and I told the whole story about my mom who hadn't loved me, and about my happiness with Sam and Rose, but also about my worries about my father, and finally about my wish to go to Valinor.  
  
After I had stopped talking, uncle Pip sighed.  
  
"Gala… Little Gala."  
  
"I am not little anymore!" I snapped.  
  
"You are not little anymore. Right. But, Galadriel…"  
  
I held my breath. Uncle Pip calling me by my full name, meant that he was really serious now.  
  
"You will not get there. You can't. Only Ringbearers and Elves can. They will not allow you to cross the Sea. You must stay here, Galadriel, stay here."  
  
"But I can't!" I cried desperately. "Uncle Pip, I really can't."  
  
He sighed again. "Oh, the always-present Took-blood …"  
  
"You do not understand. This isn't about the Took-blood, this is about the Baggins-blood! I just want to meet my father, uncle Pip… And I will!"  
  
Suddenly, uncle Pip smiled.  
  
"I understand you, Galadriel Baggins." He called my by my father's name! He called me by my father's name!   
  
"Gala, I really do. But I cannot help you escaping. I would break Sams heart, Gala, do you understand? Break his heart. You are more than a foster daughter to him, even more than a daughter. You are the living memory of his beloved master Frodo! You resemble him…" Softly, he touched my shoulder-length, curly hair.   
  
"You have his curly hair. Not the hair color, because he had dark hair and you have golden locks that resemble the color of hair of that other Galadriel very much, but you have his honest blue eyes and his smile. Gala, do not leave us!"  
  
But I was sure. "I am sorry, uncle Pip, but I will. I cannot live like this, unknowing about my father. I must go…"  
  
My uncle smiled sadly. "I do not like you leaving, little Baggins, but though, you have my blessing. You are brave, Galadriel. Very brave."  
  
I nodded, and a silence fell. Finally, I muttered.  
  
"I must go, uncle Pip. Auntie Rose will be worried. Goodbye…"  
  
"Goodbye, Galadriel Baggins, brave one."  
  
Then, he smiled again.  
  
"Goodbye, Gala, you little tomboy." 


	4. Elanor Troubles

So now, it was official. I would leave the peaceful safety of the Shire. I have to admit that I was afraid of it. Traveling was much safer than in the former days, the days of my father's journey, but still… But I had to go alone, I knew it, there was nobody I could take with me.   
  
A few days later, I told Elanor about my plans. I knew she wouldn't tell someone, I knew I could trust her. I took her to my room, and there, I told her everything in a few short phrases? Ending with "I want to go to Valinor."  
  
Her mouth fell open. "Gala, are you serious?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes, and I am sure of my decision."  
  
"Dad will not let you go, and oh, Gala, I don't want you to leave!"  
  
A silence fell. I did not know what to say.  
  
Suddenly, Elanor said resolutely "You will not go alone, I will go with you."  
  
Now my mouth fell open, and I grabbed her shoulders.  
  
"No, you won't, Elanor, you won't! You can't, don't you understand?"  
  
"I will!" I heard her voice, knowing how stubborn she was, so "Well, good, then." I answered, but I would not let her part with me. I would feel guilty all the time!  
  
Oh, that… Elanor, I could have known it! But on the other side, I was very touched, because this was the biggest sacrifice she could ever make for me. She was willing to give up her happy life in the Shire for me.  
  
"When will we part?" she tried to ask cheerfully. But I read in her eyes, that I could not let her do this for me.  
  
"Tonight, five o'clock in the morning."  
  
"What do we take with us?"  
  
"I will take care of all that is necessary." I said, and I left her.  
  
I felt very bad about lying to her, but I had to. That evening, I went to uncle Pip, to ask him for a last favour. To prepare one of his pony's for me. I would come and get it… at four o'clock in the morning… 


	5. Goodbye

The next morning, I stood up at half past three, and went silently to Elanor's room. As I saw her sleeping so peacefully, her wavy brown hair spread out on her pillow, tears came in my eyes, but it also made me surer of my decision.  
  
Softly, I stroked her cheek.  
  
"Bye, Elanor…" I whispered, and I left her a letter.  
  
"Dear Elanor.  
  
I am gone. Without you, and I am sorry. But don't you understand? I could never live happily in this Shire, but you can! You will marry, Elanor, and you will have a lot of children. I will never do so.  
  
You would not help me by going with me. I would like it if you left with me, but I would feel guilty all the time, knowing that I was stealing your future…  
  
If you really want to do something for me, then throw this letter away, and return to bed, and DO NOT tell your parents about it. They will try to get me back, but I don't want to come back. I will go to Valinor or die trying.  
  
Elanor, you are my best friend. Do not let me down, not now, and please, don't be angry with me… Please, Elanor…  
  
Goodbye, then, now, and whatever you do, don't forget me.  
  
With all the love I have got in me,  
  
Gala"   
  
And, then, I left… 


End file.
